The Light in Me Will Guide You Home
by Rachel Lily Gleek Potter
Summary: In a land far far away, three very different teens must depend on each other for their survival. As they struggle for their lives, they realize that maybe they aren't so different after all. FAIRYTALE AU Rachel/Quinn/Kurt focus. Kum/Faberry/Other Pairings
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this has been an epic!fic idea in my brain for a realllllly long time and i finally got it out into words. Its the most planned story I've had since MBFG so I'm super excited! **

**Obviously I don't own Glee, if I did Chord would still be on and Darren and Blaine would be a distant memory. **

The Light in Me Will Guide You Home: Prologue

Once upon a time, in two lands far far away, a very special connection was forged. The heir to the kingdom of Valhaven, already had a strong young son, a sturdy, brave child who seemed to be perfect for the son of royalty. But on this night, the crown prince and princess' wish for another child, to marry for an alliance, to strengthen their rule, was fulfilled, in double.

The princess gave birth to healthy, though tiny, twins; a boy and girl. The prince and the king were both overjoyed by the news. Yet another son to help rule the kingdom, fight battles, and marry a foreign princess and a fair daughter, who they already could see would be quite a beauty, to marry another ruler and strengthen or create bonds with another kingdom.

The entire kingdom was lit up with fireworks that night, by order of the king, to celebrate the birth of the prince and princess. As the nurse took the small pink bundle from the crown prince and walked past the window, the baby princess lifted her tiny head to look out at the bright lights.

In the far kingdom of Rhodarea, a brown haired toddler escaped from her mother's grasp, running to look out the window. The queen followed her youngest child, kneeling beside the small princess as she gazed out the window in wonder, her eyes searching like she'd seen the most wonderful thing ever. Though the queen looked far out, she couldn't see whatever was giving the princess so much delight.

As the nurse stepped away from the window to lay the baby in her ornate cradle, and the queen scooped up her daughter, tickling her gently before tucking her into bed with a kiss, the spark that had flashed between the two young princesses, far apart yet together for a moment, was broken, not to be rekindled for many years.

* * *

><p>As the years went on, both princesses grew, as all children of course must do. And their lives and personalities, well they were as different as the kingdoms they came from.<p>

Young Princess Quinn of Valhaven, grew up surrounded by siblings, or so she felt. Her older brother, Finn thought he ruled them all, and in a way he did. The children rarely saw their parents and by the age of seven, the heir to the throne had all the servants running to answer his every command. Though Quinn would never say it to his face, she thought Finn was perhaps the stupidest person ever, and honestly, if he told her any more about how great an athlete he was she would strangle him.

Quinn's twin brother, Sam, was the only person who could ever calm the fiery princess down. Sam was different from Quinn and Finn, the reason he could mediate their arguments so well. While he excelled at the athletics that the kingdom prided itself on, Sam was quieter, more introverted than his siblings. Though definitely not shy, Sam had secrets, secrets he couldn't ever tell anyone, which made him more guarded than the others.

The youngest of the heirs of Valhaven was Brittany. Brittany was the brightest spot in the cold palace of Valhaven. No one could ever really be angry at Britt, least of all Quinn. Her younger sister was the only one Quinn had never yelled at in her life. Except her parents, the elegant and unapproachable king and queen; Quinn wouldn't dare cross them.

Everyone in the palace deferred first to the king, then the queen, then Finn, and then Quinn. With a snap of her fingers the blond princess could send servants running, for whatever she wished for, and she could never remember being denied a material pleasure. No one would dare say no to the young princess who even as a child, struck fear into the hearts of all those she considered her inferiors.

Princess Rachel of Rhodarea, on the other hand, was the youngest of three children, and while the oldest, Santana, and she never seemed to see eye to eye, Rachel was her brother Noah's darling, and he was her hero. Everyone in the palace was accustomed to the fact that if Noah passed, Rachel would be right behind, and often vice versa. Although it worried their parents sometimes, Noah taught Rachel everything he knew, even if it was something she maybe shouldn't know.

Rachel was the shining light in the Rhodarean palace, always skipping through the gilded halls, singing to herself or out loud. The king and queen thoroughly encouraged her music, finding singing tutors and dancing teachers and even dramatic instructors for their family's jewel. In any other family, the older two siblings might have been jealous of their spoiled baby sister, yet each of the royal children of Rhodarea was just as spoiled, given everything they could ask for by their parents; loved and treasured by all.

Yet all three children were generous, as they had been taught to be. From a young age, they'd traveled with their father to give food to the poor of the kingdom. And with all of Rachel's artistic training, she thought herself a perfect teacher for the servant's children, and everyone in the palace. The story Noah would treasure and retell far into adulthood was of the day his tiny sister coerced the king into a dance lesson, guiding him across the grand ballroom as he avoided stepping on her small toes.

But all good things have an end, or so they say. And the end of Princess Rachel's carefree childhood came a bit too soon.

**A/N: So what do you think? There's a lonely little button down there that you should send some love to. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is in "present time". It might seem a little jumpy at first but I assure you it will all make sense in the end. And feel free to shoot me a review if you get lost. **

"She is such an..." The boy looked up from the mare he was brushing as his friend entered the stable row. He sighed, pretty much every time he saw her, the dark haired servant had some complaint about her domineering mistress. Not that anyone could blame her; Princess Quinn was known to be overly harsh and demanding of all she considered her inferiors, and her personal maid bore the brunt of it.

The greatest honor in the kingdom of Valhaven was to serve the royal family. All the children in the villages were taught that if they worked hard, someday they could attain these high positions. As in all lands, the highest of the high was the kings army. And all the parents o all the young boys in the kingdom desired military positions for their sons.

Kurt's family was no different from the rest. When his mother died, his father, who had been a captain in the army, had to quit to take care of his young son. Though he was never shown any resentment for the lost career, Kurt knew he was expected to follow in his father's footsteps. The problem laid within him. When sent out by his father to hunt, Kurt would return with a wounded creature he'd nurse back to health. It wasn't that he could not kill, he simply chose not to. No, Kurt was not a good fit for the king's army.

But, when he was twelve, a messenger from the palace rode right up to their door. The king wanted his best man, Kurt's father, to head up a group of soldiers tasked with hunting down anarchist guerrilla fighters. The messenger also brought a promise to find Kurt occupation in the palace; that his father need not worry about leaving him behind.

So that was how fourteen year old Kurt came to be working in he stables when the dark haired young serving maid, newly arrived at the castle, had fled the cook's rage into a horse stall. Kurt and Rachel had become fast friends as she worked her way up to Princess Quinn's ladysmaid. A year older than Kurt, the girl could tell stories of things he'd never even thought of. Rachel had an air about her that had instantly led Kurt to trust her implicitly. And two years of friendship had shown that trust to be well founded.

Rachel knew all of Kurt's secrets, yet sometimes he felt like he barely knew his best friend at all. Sometimes he would find her staring off into the distance, as if seeing something that made her utterly happy and terribly sad at the same time. And her confidence, her carriage, and the indignance with which she met the princess' tirades made Rachel unlike any girl Kurt had ever known.

Rachel had made her way through the stable to where Kurt stood and paused, looking at him critically with clear discontent marring her pretty face.

"What'd she do this time?" He asks without looking up from the mane he's combing out. "I don't know how you get this tangled."

"You are speaking to the horse correct? As I hardly have a choice in the matter." There's another thing that puzzles Kurt about his friend. She talks so proper to be a mere servant. The only people he's ever heard some of the words she does are the royal family and the high nobles. "I just cannot stand the way she speaks to me, to everyone. It is as if I am not human, like I am a dog. Except she treats all animals worse than that. Did you know that Princess Brittany brought a kitten into Quinn's room yesterday, and what did she do? She gave orders to have it drowned and tell Brittany it was an accident."

"That's pretty awful." Kurt says levelly. He's learned that agreeing with Rachel is a good idea, but he'd also like to keep his head. Rachel sinks down gracefully on a stool beside him with a sigh.

"So how are you?" She asks, regaining her composure and smiling at him. It's like she has a magic switch inside that lets her forget her troubles; something Kurt has always been jealous of.

"Well my father's returning with his men tomorrow. So I get a wonderful week of his disappointment." Kurt replies sarcastically. "And his sneaking up to check on me all the time. So."

"Secret rendezvous are a nonentity." She finishes for him.

"I have no idea what ra day vu means but yes I think so?" And it's creepy when you finish my sentences, he adds silently.

"Meetings." Rachel clarifies, sighing quietly at the need to explain. At his confirmative nod she purses her lips. "I am sorry."

"I'll live." Kurt says simply. His next words are interrupted by the clatter of hooves in the stable yard.

"Hello? Who is here?" A voice calls as the rider dismounts, leading his horse into the stable.

"Just me and Rachel." Kurt answers as the second son of the king appears, cheeks flushed from his ride.

"You were not here this morning." The blond prince states, half accusingly, half merely as a fact, to Kurt. "Hello Rachel and on a scale of Quinn to the devil how is my sister today?" Rachel giggles quietly.

"Quite herself. I should be returning now. I will see you later Kurt." She curtsies. "Prince Samuel."

"Rachel." the prince says in a warning tone, lightly holding her elbow to stop her exit. "We have discussed this."

"Goodbye Pr- Sam." She corrects quietly before scurrying out of the stable.

"God I love that girl but I am glad that she knows when to leave." Sam says as he leads his horse into its stall, bolting the door and moving towards Kurt. " Now how are you? Really."

Rachel is the only person who knows their biggest secret. When Kurt thought about it, which he avoided because it scared him so much, but when he **did** think about it, he couldn't believe that it was real. That the prince of the kingdom loved **him,** the stable boy. Of course it was as forbidden as murder in the kingdom, probably more so. If they were discovered, Kurt would likely be imprisoned or even killed and Sam would be disinherited.

It had taken a long time for the boys to decide to risk it. When twelve year old Kurt had begun working in the stables, he had instantly been assigned to the eleven year old prince's horse. Over the years they'd developed a friendship, then tentatively flirted. When they'd finally come out and acknowledged their feelings, it was still a long time before they allowed themselves to carefully begin to demonstrate those feelings. It shocked them how much they could feel for each other, a love that had always been banned.

"I'm not too good." Kurt tells Sam quietly. "I wasn't here this morning because the king wished to see me." At the other boy's look of alarm he quickly assures him. "No nothing bad! Just, my father and his men are returning tomorrow. They'll be staying for a week which means..."

"We probably cannot see each other." Sam says sadly. Kurt marvels at how opposite his reaction to Sam's completion of his thoughts is to Rachel's. It makes him feel connected and in tune with the boy he loves. "We'll just have to make today count then."

**A/N: And then they fuck. [to be added if there's enough desire]**

**So thoughts? Give the review button down there some love 3**


	3. Chapter 3

"Quinnie! Noah's coming to visit next week!" The eldest prince sings out as he sails into the room where his siblings are peacefully occupied. Sam, with slightly flushed cheeks and tousled hair, is curled up in the window seat, appearing totally absorbed in his book. Brittany is stretching idly on the floor while Quinn sits in a low chair, pretending to be focused on her needlework. None of them notice the involuntary jump of the dark haired maid standing behind Quinn at the mention of the foreign prince's name.

"And I care why Finnie?" Quinn mocks her brother's information in a tone clearly intended to convey her displeasure at the news and its carrier.

"Well someday you will be marrying him. You should care about his visits. It is a long journey, that he hopefully won't have to postpone because of all of these guerilla raids." The princess huffs, unimpressed at the journey or its dangers. "I shall be most interested to hear if they have made any discoveries in the search for his sister. The servants tales report that the king has almost given up but Prince Noah is relentless."

"Once again, why do you expect me to care?" Quinn replies bitterly. "The princess has been missing for years. Seems to me that if they haven't found her already, they aren't likely to."

"Sam would you please talk some sense into her." Finn asks exasperatedly, throwing up his hands in defeat. The younger pince scoffs but dutifully leaves the comfort of the window seat to kneel by his twin. Rachel sighs inaudibly. Maybe, just maybe this is it. Finally, he is coming, here!

Suddenly a loud crack shatters the air, causing everyone in the room to jump. The window Sam had been leaning against a moment before now features a giant hole as the crown prince of Valhaven crumples to the ground. Sam shoves his sisters towards the edge of the room before leaning over his brother's body. Brittany's maid flies into the room, tugging her young mistress out with a cry. Palace guards, fill the room, soon engaging in heavy battle with the guerilla fighters slipping in the windows by what seems like dozens. Rachel sinks into the shadows of the wall, trying to reach Quinn or the door.

"Rachel!" Sam is suddenly grabbing her arm, pulling Quinn behind him. He gives his terrified twin a gentle push towards Rachel who grabs her hand. "Get Quinn out of here. Head for Rhodarea, they willll take care of her." She nods in recognition and turns to leave. "Wait!" Sam hesitates, looking between his sister and Rachel, with a glance over his shoulder to his brother lying motionless on the floor. "Go ask Kurt to help you. Tell him I order him to keep you two safe. And tell him..."

"I will tell him. Everything." Brown eyes meet green in perfect understanding. "Take care of yourself...Sam." He gently hugs her then kisses his sisters cheek. "We've got to go now Quinn." Rachel says softly, tugging on the princess's arm.

"Finn...Sam." Quinn murmurs brokenly as Rachel tows her through the palace. She brings the shaking girl downstairs into her own bedroom in the servants quarters, shoving a tattered dress towards the princess.

"Change into that, quick!" She hisses.

"I can not wear that! It is so ugly!" Quinn complains.

"Shut up!" Quinn steps back as if the smaller girl slapped her. A little more gently, Rachel explains, "Sorry. You have to be quiet, you're going to get us caught. And you need to change because we'll have to blend in in the streets." The blonde nods timidly and allows Rachel to help her into the servant's dress. "All right, let us go."

"Where are we going?"

"Currently we are going to the stables. After that, time will only tell." Rachel replies cryptically.

"Why are we going to the stables?" Quinn's question is shushed with a finger to her lips, as Rachel leads her through the doors and into the yard. They can still hear muffled yells from the castle, which Quinn reacts to with trembles. They finally reach the stables to find them apparently deserted. The princess turns as if to return to the castle but Rachel leads her in deeper towards a closed door. She tuggs at experimentally, sighing when it doesn't budge.

"Kurt! I know that you are all in there, come out! It is just me, Rachel!" The door squeaks open a crack and Kurt's pale and fearful face peeks out from a crowd of terrified stable boys.

"Rachel!You should be hiding, they'll kill us all!" Kurt exclaims, "Wait, Is that the..." Rachel sighs in irritation and pulls the door open wide.

"You should all be in there fighting for your country." She instructs the scared stable boys in a commanding voice. She then turns back to the one she came to see. "Kurt. Sam sent me." At the sound of a fake cough behind her Rachel whirls to look at Quinn. "What?"

"You are being disrespectful. Remember your place." Rachel rolls her eyes as she returns to the matter at hand.

"Fine. Prince Samuel sent me to tell you that he orders you to take us out of here and keep us safe." She lays emphasis on the word order in mimic of Sam's original message. "And..." She leans forward to whisper the words that are for Kurt alone. "He loves you." She straightens herself to her full height and announces commandingly to the crowd of stable boys. "Prepare a carriage, not a royal one, as ordinary as possible. Good horses but not to showy. And two of you give the princess and I your coats." The boys immediately move to follow her orders, seeming glad to have direction.

The old carriage pulls up and the boy leading the horses gives Kurt the reins. Kurt swings into the driver's seat gracefully as one of the boys helps Quinn into the carriage. Rachel surveys them all before allowing herself to be helped up.

"If anyone asks, we were never here."

**A/N: Obviously this has not been updated in a very long time. However, I do have plans to finish it. Updates will not be regular, though I will try to not wait months again. Due to circumstances beyond my control I cannot update any more regularly. That said, I will try my best and I hope you are still interested.**


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